Difference Between Spanish And French Colonies

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Spanish, British, and French colonies in America were created in the 16th and 17th centuries and had a profound impact on the formation of their separate economies, communities, and governments. Each colonial power had diverse goals for its colonies, resulting in unique social structures, economic systems, and political institutions. There were numerous similarities, but there were also some differences. While Great Britain's colonies were formed to create permanent settlements, Spain’s colonization was focused on resource exploitation through forced labor. The French colonies were essentially trading posts that placed heavy reliance on the local population. There were major economic differences between the American territories controlled …show more content…

While Britain concentrated on establishing profitable economic ties with her colonies, Spain's main goal was to steal resources from them, especially gold and silver. This led to differences in economic systems; although Britain's economy was based on imports and exports, Spain's mercantilist economy was heavily dependent on exports. There were strict social hierarchies enforced by Spain, and colonists had few opportunities to progress. On the other side, there were more opportunities for upward mobility in the British colonies, which were more diverse and socially open. Politically speaking, British colonies were run by representative governments but Spanish colonies were overseen by absolute monarchs, which eventually sparked independence movements. French colonialism distinguished itself from Spanish and British colonization in many ways. In the beginning, the French placed more of an emphasis on building a network of trade with native peoples than on extracting mineral wealth or cultivating crops. The French became more friendly and cooperative with Native Americans as a result of their intermarriage and alliance-building. Second, compared to Spain or Britain, the French government was much more concerned with maintaining control over its colonies. The Crown's appointed governors held a great deal of power and were in charge of passing legislation that favored French business interests. Finally, compared to other European countries, France's colonization was characterized by greater religious tolerance, which allowed for greater diversity in its colonies. French colonialism differs from its Spanish and British forebears in these distinctive